


Souvenirs of You

by Biana_Delacroix



Series: Story of a Queen [1]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Post 4x20
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-26
Updated: 2014-07-26
Packaged: 2018-02-10 11:50:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2024049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Biana_Delacroix/pseuds/Biana_Delacroix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Chewing her lip, she decides she can have this one little secret, and flops down on her bed to listen to the message again." Throughout the years, throughout everything that happens, Caroline listens to the voicemail, waiting for 'one day' to arrive. And finally, it does. Post 4x20 Oneshot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Souvenirs of You

**Author's Note:**

> This was something I pounded out directly after the episode that shall not be named, mostly as catharsis. It was my first Klaroline piece ever, I'm fond of it. 
> 
> Disclaimer: All characters are property of WB

The first time Caroline hears the voicemail, she’s standing in the middle of her room, contemplating the call that she had missed while dealing with Elena’s humanity drama. Klaus should have no reason to contact her, from what she knew, he was off looking into some witch threat in New Orleans. Stefan had been sparse on the details but she highly doubted that whatever situation he was in could possibly involve a baby vampire in Mystic Falls.

Deciding to bite the bullet, she jams her thumb down on the ‘Voicemail’ button much harder than necessary and sucks in a breath.

_“Caroline, I’m standing near one of my favourite places in the world, surrounded by food, music, art and culture, and all I can think about is how much I want to show it to you. Maybe one day you’ll let me.”_

“Seriously?” Her first instinct is to scoff, but if she had paid attention, her voice wasn’t so much disdainful as it was amused. Looking up, she caught her reflection in the mirror and was almost startled to see her lips curled up in a small smile. There was no way she was _happy_ to hear from him, was there? He wasn’t beginning to wear her down, there was nothing even the teensiest bit flattering about the fact that he had called her just to let her know he was thinking of her.

_‘This is Klaus, Klaus killed Tyler’s mom, Klaus killed Jenna, he ruined our lives, I’m not giving in, I can’t give in…’_

But for one carefree moment, Caroline wondered if giving in would really be so terrible. There would be uproar; she’d be severing ties with her friends for at least a while. But closing her eyes she can see herself walking side by side with Klaus through the streets of New Orleans, taking in the sights and sounds of the Big Easy. Her knowledge of the city was limited to Mardis Gras parades and gumbo, but Klaus would take her to the best parts of town, show her music, art and the genuine beauty of a city filled with history and culture. He’d pull her close, pointing out the street corners where he stood a century ago; tell her the stories of his past, his low voice sending shivers down her spine. Closing her eyes, she can feel the phantom warmth of his body close to hers and she realizes that she’s actually losing herself to a fantasy about _Klaus._

Snapping her eyes open she takes a deep breath and tries to banish all thoughts of him from her head. As she tapped her phone, she hesitates just before deleting his message. Chewing her lip, she decides she can have this one little secret, and flops down on her bed to listen to the message again.

* * *

 

When she next listens to the voicemail, she’s actually shaking and if she’s angry, spiteful, confused or (probably) some combination of the three, she honestly doesn’t know. As she accesses it again, she closes her eyes and breathes in the forest air. She thought a walk in the woods to ‘digest’ the news would calm her down. She was wrong.

As his voice starts up she focuses on his emotion, on his inflection in every word. He sounded wistful, hopeful, and calm. No indication that he had recently found out he was going to be a _father._

Her mind reeled. She had accepted a lot in the last year. She had accepted the truth about an entire supernatural world. She had accepted that she was a vampire, her best friend was a witch, her other best friend was the doppelganger descendant of her murderer, her boyfriend was a werewolf and that one of the oldest creatures in the world was maybe-a-little in love with her. All that and more, she had accepted. But this, this trumped all of that. Klaus was going to have a child with _Hayley_ of all people.

She wondered if the first wave of anger she had felt when Rebekah told her the news was because it was Hayley who was carrying the…child. _‘Demon spawn is more like it.’_ She still hadn’t forgotten the were-slut’s involvement in Tyler’s banishment, not to mention knocking her out in the Grill’s bathroom. The fact that Hayley and Klaus had actually fucked was enough to have bile rising in her throat, let alone that they were actually going to have a _child…_

Stopping the pacing that she hadn’t even realized she was doing, her mind was hit with a sudden clarity. _‘Why am I so angry?’_ Why _was_ she so angry? Did she have any right to be? Her and Klaus was never going to happen (was it?), she had never led him on, they had never even gotten close to the point of a relationship, let alone an exclusive one, he owed her nothing….

So why the _fuck_ was she out in the woods in the middle of the night seeing red at the thought of all of it? This should be a blessing in disguise. She could wash her hands of him, of the were-slut, of all that ‘teen drama’ Hayley had once scoffed at. _‘Who’s living 16 and pregnant now, bitch?’_ Her pettiness was not lost on her and she was left more uncomfortable than ever.

“UGH!” she cried, speeding over to the nearest tree and punching her fist straight through the bark. Her phone was still clutched in her other hand, almost at the point of cracking. Shaking out the fist that she had shoved through the tree (this was not normal behavior, was it?), she raised the phone to her ear and listened to the voicemail again, taking deep, meditative breaths to calm herself down.

_‘Inhale, one, two, three, exhale. Inhale, one, two, three, exhale.’_

_“Maybe one day you’ll let me.”_

He sounded wistful, hopeful, calm and…resigned? Or maybe that was just her. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she couldn’t shake the feeling that a door was closing. Worse, she began to feel _regret._

* * *

 

 

One month later, she listens to the voicemail for the umpteenth time, and she’s a lot calmer but she’s rattled and it’s because _he’s_ officially gotten under her skin.

Hours earlier, she had stood outside the Lockwood Manor as the best Mystic Falls graduation party in recent memory raged on inside. It was her best effort all year, well-deserved after the absolute hell they had all gone through trying to rid their lives of Silas. The ghosts had flitted through town, some reopening old wounds, some providing much needed closure and some just reveling in the chance to see loved ones again. But they were gone now and the veil was back up. Bonnie had been absolutely amazing and she especially needed one night of teenage fun, they all did. But right in the middle of the party, she had been hit with a sense of melancholy. Everything they knew was going to end. Despite the rollercoaster their lives had become, all of that was over and now they were going to scatter, some forever, she was sure. Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t even notice the presence walking up behind her.

“Hello Caroline.”

His voice was as smooth as she remembers, her memory often refreshed by the voicemail she still can’t bring herself to delete. For a second she wonders if she imagined it, he is the one thing in her life she can’t seem to bid a proper goodbye to and she’d be lying if she said he hadn’t been on her mind lately, wondering how the whole ‘pregnancy’ thing was going. The bile rises up in her throat again, but after that one night in the forest she had done her best to exude nonchalance at the whole matter. Forcing down her disgust, she paints on what she hopes is a polite smile and turns to face him.

“Hi Klaus!” she chirps and cringes inwardly because that was _way_ too happy and now he’s going to see right through her. He smirks a little and comes closer to her, looking impeachable in a dark suit, hands clasped behind his back. She knew he was in town to see Rebekah graduate, but she never thought he would actually seek her out.

_‘Though she might have hoped it.’_

“Not enjoying the party, love?” he asks with a concerned look. “Rebekah tells me this was all your doing.”

“No, I needed some…fresh air.” It’s the truth but sounds like a lame excuse to her ears, as if she’s hiding some deep secret.

“Have you decided on your future plans yet?” A while ago she might have taken this as a reminder of his offer to show her the world, but things have changed and she doubts he’s free to play tour guide anymore. He doesn’t smirk or make any insinuation either, so he’s probably come to all the same conclusions.

“I’m thinking of going to the University of Virginia. Elena and Bonnie would be my roommates. I’m not sure what I’ll major in though.”

“University of Virginia?” he asks and in those three words he manages to convey a wealth of skepticism. And _damn him_ because even when he’s nowhere around he still manages to know when she isn’t offering the whole truth, and that there is in fact more to the story. 

“Well…I did get accepted into Princeton too.”

“Congratulations, sweetheart, it’s a fine school. Might I ask why you aren’t pursuing your education there?” She has to give him some credit, there’s no judgment in his question, he doesn’t give her that all-knowing look like he already knows the answer (though he probably already does.)

“I wanted to stay close to Elena and Bonnie! They need me after everything that’s happened and I don’t want to not be there in case something happens again and I don’t want to lose track of them either, and my mom’s here and she’ll be alone…” she trails off as she realizes that she’s+ rambling and sounds like she’s trying way too hard to justify her decision, both to him and to herself. “Anyway, why do you care so much?” She tries to infuse bitchiness into her tone in an attempt to not look flustered but he overlooks her rudeness, taking another step closer and she can make out the stubble on his chin (it’s definitely not sexy) and smell his cologne (it definitely doesn’t make her want to draw him in even closer).

“You don’t need to explain yourself, Caroline. Your loyalty is admirable” he says with a small, rueful smile. “But if I may offer another option to you…” he brings his hands in front of him to reveal that he had been holding a small, thin, rectangular box behind his back. “Congratulations on graduating, love. I hope you don’t mind a small present.”

“Seriously?” she says before she can even stop herself and they share a small laugh at her catchphrase. Gingerly taking the box from him she lifts the top expecting jewelry or maybe a sketch of her giving her valedictorian speech, but instead is met with a singular piece of paper, an airplane ticket. Shooting him an incredulous look she inspects the ticket, a first-class flight for Rome set to leave in two weeks.

“Klaus, I can’t accept – “

“Yes you can, sweetheart. After everything, I think you deserve this.” He’s even closer now, and as she looks up to him his face is _just so close…_

“I know about Hayley being pregnant!” she blurts out. The moment is over as if cold water had been thrown over them, his jaw has locked and he backed away just slightly, still invading her personal space but ending that millisecond of intimacy. Once again, there’s a nagging sense of regret in the pit of her stomach, but they need to address the elephant in the room (and that was definitely a dig at were-slut).

“Things in New Orleans are certainly complicated.” He sounds cagey and she guesses she won’t be getting any answers, but this is no time to show disappointment. _‘What is she even disappointed in?’_

“I do hope you take the trip though, love. Rome is absolutely beautiful this time of year. Be sure to visit the Galleria Borghese, and sneak up to the top of the coliseum if you can, the view is incredible.” He lights up as he describes the city and Caroline could feel her smile mirroring his. She finds herself wishing _he_ could be the one to show her all of this, and she never realized how much she had actually counted on him one day playing tour guide to her until the option was ripped away. 

“Thank you, Klaus” she said softly. He leaned forward just a bit, and for a wild second she knows he wants to kiss her and she just might let it happen. But a blink and a gust of wind later, he’s gone.

Later as she sits on her bed, showered and ready for a nice long sleep, she fiddles with the plane ticket. She’d be crazy to pass up the opportunity, right? Reaching over to her bedside table she picks up her phone and listens to the now memorized message.

_“…food, music, art and culture.”_

As his voice ends she takes a breath and makes up her mind. He wouldn’t be able to show her world like he wanted to, but she could see it for both of them.

* * *

 

The next time she seriously listens to the voicemail (because there’s causal listening and serious listening and this time is  _damn_ serious) she’s by herself in a New Orleans motel, and she never thought her first visit to the city would be like this. She had deferred Princeton for a year in favour of travelling, beginning with that trip to Rome right after graduation. Twelve hours after being in the city though, she realized that everything just felt wrong and she jumped on a train to Florence. That was a beautiful city and she took her time exploring. Eventually she made her way to Venice and then into France, and slowly makes her way through Europe. She avoids Paris like the plague though, knowing that nothing in that city will feel right. At least, not for a while. But she keeps in touch with the supernatural grape vine and  _bless_ Stefan for keeping in touch with everybody.  _Everybody._ Including  _him._

_”I’m sorry Care, I’m not really sure of the details. Rebekah… she sounded really shaken up. I just know something big happened when the baby was born and now…they’re both dead. Hayley and the baby. I’m heading down to New Orleans. I was hoping you’d come too. I’m sorry, I know this is out of the blue and I’m not sure if it’s right but – ”_

_“No, it’s fine. Thanks for calling, Stefan. I’ll be on the next flight out.”_

When she had arrived in New Orleans, she immediately made her way to the stately mansion in the French Quarter that the Originals called home. She needed no invitation to enter and the front door was unlocked. As she stepped lightly into the foyer, she could barely make out a sound throughout the estate, the air was still and cold. _‘As quiet as a tomb’._ She shook her head at her own black humor and made her way down a long hallway where she could see light seeping under a pair of large mahogany doors. Knocking softly, she shifted her weight, momentarily panicking.

_‘What do I say, why am I here?’_

She doesn’t know if she should be relived or not that the face on the other side of the door is not Klaus but Stefan, who greets her with a relieved smile and a quick hug. As she was ushered into the room, there’s no sign of the hybrid, but both his brother and sister are there, the former standing straight and silent in front of the fireplace which casted the only light in the entire house, and the latter on the couch in front of it, hands folded neatly on her lap, staring straight into the flames. She looked young and lost and Caroline wished Rebekah would be angry or bitchy or anything that would indicate she was still the strong Original vampire she remembered. Both siblings are silent and Caroline turned to Stefan who could only shrug in defeat.

After a few awkward moments, it is Elijah who takes pity on her and turns around.

“Good evening Ms. Forbes. I’m sorry that we meet again on such unfortunate circumstances.”

“I’m so sorry” she replies, for want of a better platitude. She’s not sure how to do this; her friends had been involved in the deaths of two of his family members so she’s not sure it’s even appropriate for her to be offering her sympathies on the death of one more, despite her lack of involvement. Still, she can see the grief in Elijah’s features, the lost look in Rebekah’s eyes and she knows the death of their brother’s child bears down on them. And speaking of their brother…

“Niklaus is not here at the moment. But I was hoping you might be able to…he’s not in a very good place, for lack of a better term.”

“He’s hoping you can make him talk again.” Rebekah’s voice almost startles Caroline, it’s flat and lifeless, nothing like the sass she usually employed.

“I’m sorry, I’m still not sure what exactly happened” said Caroline, a little desperately now. She’s not sure what’s she dropped herself into and what they expect her to do, but she’s sure it’s too much.

“Carrying a hybrid baby would be extremely difficult, we all knew that. Niklaus and I, the witches helping us and Hayley, we all knew that there would be serious risks and a significant amount of magic involved. Keeping Hayley from turning every full moon was incredibly difficult but nature’s loopholes allowed the fetus to grow. But the birth itself… we needed magic. More than we had. But the more witches we got involved, the more the word got out. Marcel was more informed than any of us gave him credit for and he found us, just when the child was due. He wasn’t able to kill all of them, but he killed enough. We didn’t have the magic necessary, and – _”_ he breaks off for a moment, and despite his immortal youth, he looks so _old._  “Neither made it through. Hayley and the boy were dead before we could even get away from the fight.”

The boy. _The boy._ Klaus had been a father. He had had a _son,_ however fleetingly. She’s not sure what emotions she’s showing, because frankly she’s not sure what she’s feeling. She does recognize a small amount of guilt bubbling up at the thought of Hayley being dead. There was no love lost between the two girls but at the end of the day, Hayley had been young, pregnant and no doubt scared out of her mind, so Caroline takes a moment to think about the one more life that had been lost to the machinations of others.

Still, her thoughts focused mostly on Klaus. He wasn’t anywhere in the house, she was sure, and she still had no idea how her presence could help. What she and Klaus had was never set in stone or even requited at the time but she can’t keep lying to herself by saying it didn’t exist. For better or worse, she was here.

“I believe you can find Niklaus in Lafayette Cemetery” said Elijah, and he seems to have reclaimed his composure, turning away from her and moving to stand behind his little sister. As he places a hand on Rebekah’s shoulder in a quiet, comforting gesture, Caroline feels as if she’s intruding on something incredibly private.

“Come on Care, I’ll drive you over to the cemetery.” Stefan graciously leads her from the house and into his car parked outside and says nothing the whole drive through, which is probably best, Caroline is still trying to figure out what she can possibly say to Klaus.

As she maneuvered her way through the labyrinth of graves she focused on the sound of breathing, a heartbeat, anything to indicate he was there. She was just about to turn around and run because this place was creepy as _hell_ , but then she spotted him a few rows down, standing in front of a small tombstone. Quickly walking closer until she’s right behind him her mouth opens and closes for a few moments as she desperately racks her brain for something to say, but he beats her to the punch.

“Hello Caroline.”

His voice has no warmth. No fondness. It’s not anger at her though, she understands that, but the icy monotone is similar to Rebekah’s and Caroline knows in that moment that no matter what he’ll say to anyone, this has _wrecked_ him.  The loss of this child’s possible future, regardless of how terribly it could have gone, will haunt them all for a while. Klaus shifts and turns to face her and Caroline was able to make out the only two words on the grave.

_Henrik Mikaelson._

Her heart constricted painfully as she remembered the story of Klaus’ long dead little brother. As she met his gaze she wishes that he was angry because any emotion would be better than the emptiness in his eyes.

“Klaus…” she trailed off.  ‘ _I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. No parent should outlive their child.’_

“Save it, Caroline, I’ve heard it all from Elijah. It makes no difference to me. I always knew there would be complications, and it’s better this way. One less loose end to worry about.” His words are quick and callous, the grave behind him betraying his feelings, but Caroline knows better than to argue with him right now. Instead she nods and they stand in tense silence.

“New Orleans is beautiful” she says for lack of a better subject. His lips quirk upwards at this and she’s relieved that she managed this small victory at least. But the smile drops quickly and his eyes harden as he takes a step forward and stares at her intently.

“You should leave in the morning Caroline, as soon as possible.” She’s affronted for just a moment but he continues before she can say anything.

“Marcel is more paranoid than ever. Things are going to get quite heated now; the streets are going to be bloody for a while.” He smirks darkly, probably imagining the future carnage and Caroline understands what he’s saying. He needs to reclaim his power more than ever, Marcel (though she still doesn’t really know who the hell that is) has committed a grave offense and she knows Klaus is going to rain down hell until he’s the last king standing. Whatever anger he’s bottling up now will be unleashed tenfold when he rips out the hearts of all who stand against him. The thought doesn’t upset her as much as it probably should, in fact there’s a small part of her (and steadily growing) that wants to stay and make sure he doesn’t lose himself to his anger.

“Klaus, I could –”

“No, Caroline! You leave in the morning.” His resolve is firm, and she can feel her own anger flaring up, but he cuts her off at the pass.

“Please, sweetheart. This isn’t your fight.”

He’s absolutely right, but that doesn’t make her feel better. But as he stares her down she thinks the situation through. She was still a relatively young vampire, ready to walk into an all-out war between two bloodthirsty monsters. And one of those monsters might try very, very hard to keep her safe but this isn’t Mystic Falls and she doesn’t have Bonnie or the Salvatores to watch her back. Sucking in a breath and her pride, she knows that she’ll have to leave before it gets back to Marcel that there’s a young blonde strolling around New Orleans at Klaus’ side.

“I guess it’s time for me to go to Princeton then,” she says resignedly. Klaus smiles again and she’s relieved to see emotion on his face. Coming closer he placed his hands on her upper arms and tugged her against him. Gently, he pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head.

“Thank you, Caroline. You’re going to have a brilliant time there” he murmured into her hair. “And for what it’s worth…thank you for coming here.” She smiled at his admission and decided to take the chance and stepped back so that she could wrap her arms around his neck and hug him tightly. He was stiff for a moment before slowing bringing his own arms around her waist and hugged her back. For one moment, they both stood still, saying nothing and enjoying the small comfort of each other. Taking a simultaneous breath, they knew when it was time to let go and stepped away from one another.

“Good luck Klaus.” With one last soft smile, Caroline was gone.

Back in her motel room, she curls up into a ball underneath the covers of the bed and presses her phone to her ear.

_“…I’m standing near one of my favourite places in the world…”_

He sounds so hopeful, not knowing how everything is going to go to hell, and she hangs on to that. Replaying the message again and again, she hangs on to this piece of him because she knows that it’s all she’ll have for a long time.

* * *

 

Over the next four years she never goes too long without listening to the voicemail. Navigating her way through campus life seems almost laughably easy compared to everything she’s been through, but it gets to the point where she realizes she’s actually come to miss the element of supernatural in her life.  At Princeton she’s the only vampire she knows (logically there should be more but they’re all doing a damn good job of hiding it) and though she keeps in touch with  everybody from Mystic Falls, the monotony is starting to wear on her slightly. She went from a constant state of war to being a regular college student and she can’t figure out why she can’t just be happy with the peace but maybe there was absolutely no going back to the life she once had. All  she knows is that she  definitely couldn’t do an eternity of this.

So, whenever she feels antsy or just so _bored_ (but she can never bring herself to give in to her darker impulses) she listens to the voicemail.  The old promise of showing her New Orleans has been long since memorized, but it isn’t just those words she hears.

_“There’s a whole world out there waiting for you.”_

_“Cities, art and music…genuine beauty.”_

_“You’re strong, beautiful, full of light.”_

_“Small town boy, small town life, it won’t be enough for you.”_

_“You have a beautiful future ahead of you.”_

_“Maybe one day you’ll let me.”_

For four years, she wrestles with her memory of him. Her friends are moving on well enough; Matt and Bonnie are safe and happy, her mother is keeping the peace in Mystic Falls (and it was peaceful, thank god) and Elena and Damon were together somewhere, enjoying their relationship. Tyler is lost to the wind, though she’s heard he’s found a place with a pack near Colorado. She never would’ve guessed it, but Stefan is the one she’s remained closest to, the former ripper had never left New Orleans after what had happened four years ago. She had warmed to the idea of him and Rebekah in a relationship, her last memory of the Original was seeing her shattered by grief so she actually liked that Stefan was helping her come back from that. And it meant that Stefan could keep her updated on the constant tension between Marcel and Klaus. He also gave her a progress report on how Klaus was doing and she grew more and more revlieved as Stefan told her he was improving over the years. It had gotten a lot worse before it got better, but the carnage slowly lessened and with the support of Elijah and Rebekah, he focused solely on Marcel.

She wondered if that was why she was becoming bored with a ‘human’ life, she felt like she was missing the fight (and Klaus), and Caroline had somehow become used to always being in the middle of everything. Still, she knows she can’t help this time, so she bides her time, studies World History (and wonders what Klaus was doing during every major historical event she commits to memory) and at the end of four years she receives a degree and a phone call.

_“Care, they managed to do it! Marcel’s dead, the witches are free. Elijah’s doing some ‘peace negotiations’ but it looks like the worst is over, and…well, Klaus  hasn’t said anything to me… but I think he thinking about you…never mind it’s probably not my business._

_“No, relax Stefan, it’s fine! It’s all fine. Thanks for telling me…I uh….I have to go right now though, I’ll call you back soon!”_

Now, she has another decision to make. Her dorm room is packed and most of her stuff is ready to ship to her hometown, but she’s teetering on the edge. He could show her the world. She could give him light. They could make it work together, see the world, protect each other from whomever is stupid enough to come after them. It’s a decision four years in the making but now she needs one little push. So, she listens to the voicemail.

_“…all I can think about it how much I want to show it to you. Maybe one day you’ll let me.”_

Looks like one day had arrived.

* * *

 

Walking into the crowded bar she took in the happy atmosphere. Vampires drank together, easy laughter floating through the air. A small trio of musicians in the corner played upbeat jazz music and she could practically taste the sense of relief in the air. This was a town after war, the grieving was done and now it was time to enjoy life.

“Camille, love, another round for everyone!” The familiar British voice rang out authoritatively and it was met with cheers from everybody there. As she walked up to the bar, she could see the three Original siblings sitting right in the center of the crowd, their backs to her. Stefan was next to Rebekah, his arm around her waist and she watched with a small smile as he pulled her close and kissed her. Their display of affection emboldened her and she took a step forward, drawing the notice of the pretty, blonde bartender.

“Now, you’re a new face. What’s your name?”

“Caroline Forbes.” She could see them all instantly go still. Stefan turns to her first and a wide smile splits his face, which she returns. But then _he_ has turned around and hopped off his barstool, coming to stand in front of her.

“Caroline,” Klaus breathes out, taking her in. She smiles, nervously at first, but soon she’s beaming as his face lightens up to match hers.

“It’s good to see you Klaus,” she said softly, so that only he could hear. For a second they just drink in the sight of each other before a throat clearing interrupts them and reminds them that they are in fact surrounded by a room of very curious vampires.

“Perhaps you might join us, Caroline?” asks Elijah politely.

“No! Let’s take a walk, shall we, sweetheart?” They ignore the matching smirks on Elijah, Rebekah and Stefan’s faces and quickly make their way into the bustle of Bourbon Street. Klaus takes her hand as they stroll through the balmy evening air and though this is the first time they’ve seen each other in four years, it feels completely _right._  

“I hope you plan on staying for a while, sweetheart. I’d like to properly show you _my_ city.”

“I was hoping you would” she says a bit giddily catching his eye. He smirks back, the old charm he one used back in full force.

“It’ll take a while you know. There’s a lot to see in this town.”

“Well, good. I wasn’t planning on leaving anytime soon,” she says with finality, realizing that this was in fact the right decision, she was ready for this. A little nervous, but excited too. And definitely ready.

“Do you really mean that?” They stop walking and Klaus pulls them into a small side alley, placing Caroline against the brick wall, hands on her upper arms. “Are you really _ready?”_ She understands his question and all the implications behind it. There are a thousand things she could say to assure him of her intent, to make him believe that she wasn’t the small-town girl anymore but they did say actions spoke louder than words. So taking in a deep breath she placed her hands on his cheeks and looked him right in the eye for a second before leaning up on her toes and pressing her lips to his.

She’d never believed the old clichés but maybe it was the years of waiting and anticipation that caused her to actually see fireworks. He was as stunned as he had been when she had hugged him in that cemetery, but quickly brought his hands to her waist as he pushed her back against the wall and moved his lips against hers enthusiastically, his tongue begging entrance into her mouth. She ran her hands up his back coming to entangle her fingers in his dirty blonde curls as he pulled his mouth from hers and pressed hot kisses down the column of her neck. A moan escaped her as his hands came up to her chest, kneading her breasts through the fabric of her dress. A loud car honk broke through their bubble and they pulled away from each other, panting heavily, eyes half lidded with lust.

“Let’s go, sweetheart,” he said gruffly, yanking her by the hand and maneuvering her through the busy streets. She has never been so thankful for vampire speed and normally she’d worry about people seeing them but the tourists are too drunk and she’s too horny to really care.

Coming up to the familiar manor, Klaus yanked open the door and pulled her in after him, immediately spinning her around and pressing her against the closed door, crushing his lips to hers again. Their movements are much more frantic, much more desperate and their hands are grasping at each other as if letting go will mean another four years apart. He grasps the back of her thighs and hauls her up so that she can wrap her legs around his waist, never once breaking their kiss. Shoes and jackets are (somehow) lost on the way up a staircase and before she knows where she is, they’ve burst through a set of doors and she feels herself deposited on a large, sinfully comfortable bed. She can hear the click of a lock and sits up, feeling herself getting wetter at his hungry stare.

With a small smirk, Caroline reached for the straps of her dress, slowly sliding them down her shoulders but it proves too much for Klaus (four years will do something for patience after all) and in the next second the dress has been ripped from her body leaving her deliciously bare under him, save for a pair of lace panties. Reaching for the hem of his Henley she yanked it over his head and made quick work of his belt. He helped her shimmy his jeans down his body and she takes in the full sight of him hard and ready for her. He returns to his assault on her neck, going lower until he’s peppering kisses all over her breasts, drawing out low moans from her. She brings her hands up to run along his chest but he stops his movements for just a second though, taking her arms and holding them over her head as he meets her gaze.

“Are you sure, sweetheart?”

She marvels that he can still want clarification after all that’s happened and uses the moment to flip them and straddle his waist. Feeling his length pressing into her she smirked down at him slowly and lowered her head until her lips were at her ear.

“Doesn’t every king need a queen?” The wolfish grin he gives in response is quickly followed by him tearing her underwear from her, pressing her into the bed under him once more and they lose themselves to each other, the moans of their release echoing into the warm night.

* * *

 

The next morning, sunlight filters through the sheer curtains covering the French doors leading to the balcony and reaches the couple entangled in the sheets on the bed. Caroline lay on her side, eyes cracked open as she watched the sun slowly rise over New Orleans. _‘His city. Their city.’_

The hybrid in question is pressed against her back, arm thrown possessively across her waist. She sighs at the feeling of warmth, and contemplates how they had actually reached this point. Spotting her ruined dress on the floor nearby, she carefully extracted herself from Klaus’ hold and knelt near it, shifting through the fabric, and pulling out her phone from the pocket.  Accessing the voicemail, she listened to it one last time, smiling at the familiar words. Then, she finally deleted it.

Looking back at the bed, she smirked at seeing Klaus watching her silently. She climbed back in, curling into his embrace and knowing that she didn’t need the souvenir of him anymore. She finally had the real thing.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed!


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